Carbon repair: what would you do..?

[Garethgas]

You could but don't expect to get far.

I would...
"There is a close connection between the requirements of merchantable quality and fitness for purpose and the requirement that goods must also be capable of enduring for a reasonable period and must be free from any propensity to deteriorate seriously or break down. To the judge's mind, this means that goods must not unduly break down during their normal life-span and that if they do, the breakdown is often a clear symptom of their inappropriate quality."

The merchantable quality of a product is related to it's cost, the manufacturer, and 'reasonable' time.
As has been shown here, everybody thinks (quite reasonably) that a carbon bike should last longer than 3 years.
I expect a Judge would agree.

 

[Globalti]

Stop worrying; they are classic witness cracks that form where the flexy carbon chainstay meets the inflexible alloy lug. The paint is thick, brittle and very hard so it cracks. Carry on riding - I carried on riding my 2006 Roubaix for over 5000 miles with these witness cracks and then sold it with a clear description and as far as I know the new owner is also happily riding it:

The crack in the above pic is difficult to see but it comes down from the joint and forks out across the crown in that patch of white reflected light. In evidence of the thickness and brittleness of the paint, look at that area just above the cable stop where the brake hit the tube and a deep flake of paint fell off, which I touched up with nail varnish

I suggest you grab the rear dropouts and bend and twist them as hard as you can while listening for telltale creaks or grating sounds.

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Here is the reply this morning from Ribble which pretty much backs up what Smokin Joe, fossyant and Globalti above (thanks also for the input globalti) have said:

Hi Sam,

We fully appreciate your concern.

From the photos, this does not appear to be a structural problem but slight cosmetic damage to the paint coating.

The seatstay and chainstays meet the dropout and are glued and wrapped with carbon to make the joint stronger than the individual components.

To ensure a smooth surface prior to painting, a filler is used which gets sanded down. Sometimes it's a little thick, sometimes a little too thin. With use the joint has to flex with the frame and in rare occasions it can develop a thin cosmetic crack in the paint.

Your bike is unfortunately outside of warranty. However, this is easily repaired by sanding/filling/sanding again before repainting.

Best regards.

 

[Dragonwight]

Is it not possible to simply remove a bit of paint and see if its cracked underneath?

 

[Rob3rt]

I'd donk off a few kerbs with a crap wheel in the back and then see if it looks worse or smashes, if not, I'd continue riding it. Might even pretend to be an expert and tap it with an allen key and listen to the sound if I was feeling thorough!

 

[400bhp]

I would...
"There is a close connection between the requirements of merchantable quality and fitness for purpose and the requirement that goods must also be capable of enduring for a reasonable period and must be free from any propensity to deteriorate seriously or break down. To the judge's mind, this means that goods must not unduly break down during their normal life-span and that if they do, the breakdown is often a clear symptom of their inappropriate quality."

The merchantable quality of a product is related to it's cost, the manufacturer, and 'reasonable' time.
As has been shown here, everybody thinks (quite reasonably) that a carbon bike should last longer than 3 years.
I expect a Judge would agree.

A judge....seriously, get real

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Sounds like a plan Rob3rt, as I said though,couldn't a cosmetic paint crack also get worse?

 

[Garethgas]

A judge....seriously, get real

Thanks for your valuable contribution.
In case you hadn't noticed, that was a direct quote from a similar case.
As it turns out, it seems that the cracks are just superficial paint cracks rather than structural failure.

 

[MikeW-71]

Sounds like a plan Rob3rt, as I said though,couldn't a cosmetic paint crack also get worse?

Possible, but it won't affect the frame structure.

 

[400bhp]

Thanks for your valuable contribution.
In case you hadn't noticed, that was a direct quote from a similar case.
As it turns out, it seems that the cracks are just superficial paint cracks rather than structural failure.

Really-third person was he.

Youve extrapolated that quote to a concrete solution. In reality its much more complicated.
So, thanks for your unhelpful response yo the op.

 

[Globalti]

Stop bickering. This is Remings's thread.

 

[Garethgas]

Really-third person was he.

Youve extrapolated that quote to a concrete solution. In reality its much more complicated.
So, thanks for your unhelpful response yo the op.

I took the trouble to find a similar problem so that the OP could see that just because it's out of warranty, doesn't mean that the manufacturers have no liability.
I was going to provide a link if he was interested but it seems to be resolved now.
Yet you still see fit to snipe from the sidelines.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Sounds like a plan Rob3rt, as I said though,couldn't a cosmetic paint crack also get worse?

Smooth it off so the crack is no longer visible and then touch it up with paint (Or just forget about it). Ribble's reply to you and the photos Globalti posted would ease any worries if it was my frame.

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Many thanks to all of you; I think I'll carry on riding her then.

 

[S.Giles]

Nothing stays new-looking forever, so given that it's not a structural problem I'd forget about it (which is pretty-much what you've stated in the above post). Personally, I've never been attracted to the sheen that characterises brand-new items.

In the world of old guitars, this sort of thing is known as 'patina', and is considered to add to the character of the item in question. I'd start worrying about my bicycle's cosmetic details when everything else in my life was absolutely perfect (ie, never!)

Steve